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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · plane · stock · wake · fork · tube · sharp · root

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. root — the cause
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fork — in a road
  6. stock — goods
  7. wake — a trail
  8. root — of a plant
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. tube — a container
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. root — of a word
  15. plane — a tool
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. tube — the underground
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stock — shares
  24. sharp — clever

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com